There is a significant interest in preparing polymers from materials derived from biomass. The diol 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-D-sorbitol, hereinafter referred to as isosorbide, is readily made from renewable resources, such as from sugars and starches. According to the following reaction scheme, isosorbide can be made from biomass derived starch through hydrolysis, hydrogenation, and dehydration reactions.

The use of isosorbide in polymerization reactions has been found to result in poorer quality polycarbonate as compared to polycarbonate made from other monomer components and specifically those containing bisphenol-type compounds. These properties include poorer color quality of the polymer as well as reduced mechanical properties such as melt viscosity. There is a need to improve the properties of polymers produced using isosorbide as a monomer component.